


He's Ours to Protect

by ImaKaraTabiHe



Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Dead Aunt May, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Murder, Protective Avengers, Psychological Trauma, Superfamily (Marvel), Tags Are Hard, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-12
Updated: 2016-10-13
Packaged: 2018-08-22 03:06:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8270290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImaKaraTabiHe/pseuds/ImaKaraTabiHe
Summary: Things are going well at the Tower since Peter was adopted.  At least, they were before someone from Peter's past reappeared.





	1. Chapter 1

It's like any other evening in the Tower. Thor's back in Asgard, but everyone else is hanging out in the Commons. Clint and Natasha are sitting on the couch, watching TV. Tony is in the kitchen arguing with Steve about whether one should really consider asparagus food or torture. Bruce is reading a book on the couch and Bucky is reassembling his gun.

Peter, however.. Peter is flipping through his homework in the corner of the room, because sitting on the couch with the TV right in front of him would be distracting. Also he really didn't want Clint's opinions on whether or not he's interpreting his English homework of poetry correctly.

“You know you can come sit over here,” Natasha mentions, not taking his eyes off the screen, but everyone knows who she's talking to.

Peter scans the poem again as he replies, “I'm good here. Don't want Clint to start raving about how a raven is the symbol for death and destruction and all things bird.”

“Hey! I resent that!” Clint frowned, mock offended.

“Yes, you do,” Natasha patted his arm. “Now shut up, I'm trying to watch TV.” Clint scowls and mutters about how she started it. He shuts up when she elbows him though.

“ _Peter?”_ Jarvis' voice questions.

“Yeah, J? What's up?” Peter asks, looking up from his homework.

“ _There appears to be a guest for you in the lobby,”_ Jarvis tells him. Peter's brows furrow as he thinks as to who it could be. Natasha flips off the TV as everyone's attention turns to him.

“Any idea who it is, J?” Peter questions, deciding he really won't know unless he goes down to see for himself or asks Jarvis, and he'd rather not go down and see because it's better to be safe than sorry.

“ _A mister 'Skip', as he introduced himself,”_ Jarvis tells him.

Peter's papers crumble under his grip and his books fear they might be next. No one misses the way the color drains from Peter's face and how his body tenses as tight as they've ever seen, maybe tighter. “Send him away, Jarvis,” Peter hoarsely responds. “Make him leave.”

“ _He says he has something important to discuss with you. Are you sure?”_

Peter glares up at the ceiling and snaps, “Yes! Tell him to go the _fuck_ away!”

“ _Very well,”_ Jarvis replies.

“Peter?” Steve questions, stepping from the kitchen with worry on his face. Bruce has closed his book and set it aside, slowly moving over to where Peter is curled up on the floor, back against the wall.

“Peter,” Bruce softly speaks, “you need to calm down. Breathe slowly.” It concerns him how close to panicking Peter looks, how shaky he is.

“Tony,” Steve calls, waiting for Tony to pop out of the kitchen. Tony's enters the room at a run, on edge at how tight Steve's voice is. The inventors eyes land on Peter and he's throwing a kitchen towel on the floor, cautiously joining Bruce just outside of Peter's bubble.

Clint, Natasha and Bucky are standing, stock still with battle ready bodies, because Peter's only ever looked that out of sorts when his aunt died, when the anniversary of Gwen's death came around. “Peter.. Who was that?” Natasha asks and she hates it when she sees Peter flinch and panic enter his eyes again. Everyone sees it and equally hates it.

Blood wells up on Peter's lower lip, the metallic tang on his tongue a disgusting reminder of times already passed. “I'm fine,” he squeaks, voice sounding constricted like he was being strangled. “I'm fine,” Peter repeats again, but it seems more like he's trying to convince himself more than anyone else. They're not sure if that's a good thing. They know they wouldn't believe him, but repetition makes it seem like he can't believe himself.

Bruce reaches hand out when he sees the way Peter's nails are biting into his skin, drawing blood. Peter flinches back. He freezes, eyes wide on their youngest, their adopted family member. “It's okay,” Bruce tells Peter in a soft voice. “I'm not going to touch you.” He pulls his hand away slowly, making sure it remains in Peter's sight. It hurts to see how Peter's eyes follow it back.

“Natasha,” Tony requests in a calm, flat tone. His eyes are staring blankly at Peter, shocked.

The spy slips over the couch without a sound and slowly, following the way Bruce and Tony had, makes her way over to them. She hesitates for a second before she takes it another step forward, entering Peter's space. He doesn't flinch away.

She kneels down in front of him. “Peter?” she keeps her voice gentle and soft. Peter looks up at her, eyes devoid of strength. He doesn't look at anyone else, just keeps his gaze focused on her. Even when Bruce and Tony move away, he doesn't let himself look at the men.

The two remain that way, Natasha still and patient while Peter remains entirely focused on her, oblivious to the looks of worry among the other Avengers. Clint's standing there, watching. The archer's eyes flick over to Tony, who, like Peter, is staring – except it's at Peter. There's a look of heartbreak on his face.

Clint remembers hearing Tony mention once that he'd had a little more forced socialization during his schooling. A kid being at a school with students older than him? It wasn't too hard to decipher then. Just like it's not too hard to decipher now.

“Jarvis,” Clint grits his teeth. “Get me the name of that person. Get me everything about him.” His voice is tinged with the kind of mindless anger that everyone's heard from criminals out to get revenge. It's deadly and it draws Bucky and Steve's attention.

Steve looks horrified and confused all at the same time, but Bucky's slowly piecing it together. It's not hard to recognize trauma and the recognition on Tony's face makes him remember all the intel he'd gotten when he was still with Hydra. A part of the gun in his metal hand creaks under his cybernetic enhanced strength. It's never going to be fixable.

“ _Information is displayed on the screen,”_ Jarvis informs them as the TV screen lights up with files. The most prominent one is an arrest file. “Skip Wescott: under arrest for sexual assault/rape of a minor – Peter Parker.”

There's a loud snap as the door frame splinters under Steve's hand. Bruce looks a little green, fists shaking at his side. “Oh my  _god,”_ someone gasps in shock.

Natasha hasn't even looked away from Peter, but she seems to know. Only the subtle tenseness of her shoulders belays the amount of murderous anger she's feeling. The rest of her remains calm and vulnerable for Peter.

“I-..I'm sorry,” Peter whispers, just loud enough for everyone to hear. There are tears welling up in his eyes, threatening to overflow.

“It's not your fault, Peter,” Natasha murmurs to Peter. “None of it was your fault.” That seems to break Peter's shaky hold on his control. Peter throws his arms around Natasha, clinging to her as he sobs into her neck. She keeps herself steady, pulling him tightly against her and whispering reassurances to him. It breaks her heart to feel her collar dampen with tears – with _Peter's tears._

The teen, like a nephew to her, shakes and cries in her arms, falling to pieces in her arms. Natasha strokes his hair, his back and continues to tell him that it wasn't his fault and that he's okay. “You're safe here. We've got you.”

Steve and Tony hold each other's hands, watching with a parent's worries, anger, and heartbreak as their son cries into his adopted aunt's neck, clinging to her as if some horrible person might snatch him from her arms. “ Tony,” Steve breathes out, unsteady. Tony nods slightly. “I know..” he manages to say, “I know..”

Peter cries himself to sleep, too upset to realize that Clint and Bucky are going through the files on the screen, muttering plans. Bruce is breathing deeply, trying to maintain control, to get the green tint in his skin to fade.

Natasha picks Peter up, pressing a protective kiss to his forehead. She makes eye contact with Steve before she turns and heads up to Peter's room. Steve kisses his husband's cheek and follows her.

Tony looks after them feeling helpless. He takes a deep breathe and looks over to where Bucky and Clint have paused in their talks to catch his eye. Tony doesn't look at Bruce, doesn't even let himself think about Bruce as he opens his mouth. “I want him gone,” Tony commands them coldly.

“Consider it done,” Clint assures him with Bucky giving Tony a curt nod beside him. Their eyes are blazing with so much determination one might mistake them for murderers.

“Don't let it be quick.” Tony looks at Bruce this time, eyes widening at the usually collected scientist's words. He feels guilt bubble up when he sees just how angry Bruce is with his eyes a glowing green. How could he have let himself believe that Bruce would allow the one who'd hurt their Peter to live?

This time, it's Bucky who speaks up, “It won't be. He doesn't deserve that kindness.” The former assassin's eyes are as frozen with rage as Clint's.

“Find out why he came here,” the words are out of Tony's mouth before he can stop them. He doesn't want to hear a word out of that sick bastard's mouth, but he needs to know. They can't ignore the fact that that man must have had a reason to appear now in front of Peter.

“Got it,” Clint affirms. They all understand why Tony said that. Reasons matter. If they could hurt Peter, then they need to know. At least they can have fun forcing it out of him. Clint motions to Bucky and the two slip out of the room, bodies tensing and ready to lash out at their unsuspecting target.

Tony exchanges a look with Bruce and the two head up to Peter's room.  Natasha is sprawled out in Peter's bed, arms wrapped protectively around the teen superhero. Steve's on his knees beside the bed, hand stroking Peter's hair like he were made of glass. Wordlessly, Tony goes and gets down on the floor beside Steve, wrapping his arms around him. Bruce leans into the door, eyes gazing on the sight with pain.

Every time Peter's face scrunches up, nightmares biting at his heels, Natasha's there, murmuring sweet words of comfort in Russian. Steve pulls his hand back and waits until Peter knows he's safe again before he resumes petting his son. It's agony.

What must've been a few hours later, Tony's phone vibrates in his pocket and he pulls it out. There's a message from Jarvis informing him that Bucky and Clint are back. He pecks Steve's cheek before getting up. Steve looks at him curiously, but he just shakes his head and leaves with Bruce following him.

Tony can hear Steve whisper something to Natasha and then the super soldier follows them into the Commons. Clint's got a beer in one hand while Bucky dabs blood from the archer's knuckles with a towel. Steve eyes the split knuckles with disapproval, but Bucky beats him to it.

“He was there. In front of Peter's old house.” Any disapproval dies in Steve's throat, but he tries to find some excuse because Avengers aren't just supposed to kill civilians, even criminals.

“He was touching himself,” Clint manages to bite out, hissing with both renewed anger and the pain as Bucky pours rubbing alcohol on his knuckles.

Steve's disapproval is dead for good. There's a familiar roll of his stomach and he feels like he's going to be sick. He tries to push away the horrifying images of a younger Peter, helpless beneath some older man's hands, begging him to stop. He can taste acid in the back of his throat.

“Did you take care of him?” Tony questions. Steve's eyes snap to Tony. He and Bruce looks similarly unrepentant and Steve's surprisingly okay with that.

“He's gone. Forever,” Bucky assures them with the start of a cold smile. Clint doesn't even look cold. He looks proud as his anger simmers down.

Tony doesn't ask what Skip wanted with his son. They all know when Clint had explained what Skip was doing in front of where Peter used to live. It makes him afraid to realize what would most likely happen had they not taken Peter in after Aunt May died.

“He's here, Tony,” Bruce murmurs, waiting until Tony's eyes find his before he continues. “We have him. He's with us and he's safe.”

Tony swallows his fear and nods, looking back towards the way to Peter's room. Everyone's eyes follow his gaze. Their hearts bleed for him.  It's going to be a long road to recovery for him but they're going to be with him. They won't leave him alone. Whatever he needs, they'll be there, because they care about him, because they love him. Because he's their family and they're going to protect him no matter what.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some family fluff to heal those wounds as Peter wakes up the next day.

P eter wakes up tucked against a warm, solid body. His eyes are swollen and his throat aches from crying. There are salty streaks on his cheeks. He forces himself up despite the weak feeling of his body.

“Peter,” a voice softly murmurs. Peter sees Natasha's arms retract from him. She's gazing at him with concern. Sitting up beside him, she reaches out and touches his cheek. “Are you alright?”

He shrugs, helplessly. He's not sure. His head is still fuzzy and he doesn't want to think about last night. She looks at him with understanding before she kisses his forehead and gets up. “Let's go get something to eat.”

Peter's breath stutters and her gaze softens. “It's okay, Peter. We all love you, so much,” she assures him. Hesitantly, he reaches out and slips his hand in hers. Natasha smiles at him as she helps him stand up and gives his hand a gentle squeeze. “Why don't you go wash your face real quick,” she suggests. “I'll wait right here.”

With a slight nod, Peter slips into his bathroom and looks at his face. It looks like a disaster. He winces at how simultaneously young and old he looks. He splashes his face with cool water, hoping to bring down the swelling of his eyelids.

“Just take a breath, Parker,” he tells him, breathing in and out, in and out until he feels better about seeing the rest of the team. Gathering himself, he steps out of the bathroom to find Natasha right where she said she'd be.

He's afraid to say anything, but she seems to know. Natasha holds out her hand to him with a gentle look and Peter gives her a smile as he takes her hand again. It's surprisingly warm.

She walks beside him, holding onto his hand as they leave his room and finally arrive in the Commons. Peter was expecting.. Well, he's not sure what he was expecting, but he certainly wasn't expecting to see one of the big lab tables he's used in the living room between the couch and the TV overflowing with food.

Clint's singing “ Ride” by Twenty One Pilots and Bucky's throwing one of the couch pillows at his head, laughing at how ridiculous the archer looks, dancing like a crazy person. Bruce is shaking his head fondly as he watches Clint.

A quick check with his hearing reveals Tony and Steve arguing about who's taking all the big jars of juice into the living room. Tony seems adamant about taking the coffee pot.

The scent of food is everywhere and Peter's stomach growls with the realization that he hadn't eaten dinner. Perhaps no one did, and he feels guilty.

Natasha clears her throat and everyone looks over at Peter. “Peter~ My favorite – okay, second favorite spider! You're just in time for the breakfast feast!” Clint grins at Peter, looking bubbly and energized. “That's what it took to get you to shut up? Should've woken Peter up sooner,” Bucky mutters, teasingly.

Clint gasps, mock offended, hand over his heart as he spins to look at Bucky. “My singing is fabulous!” he protests. Bucky merely raises an eyebrow. “It is! Tell him, Nat!”

Peter peers up at Natasha, seeing a glimpse of a smile on her lips and she winks at him. Looking the very picture of a blank slate, she answers, “Whatever you like to believe, Barton.”

Choking back a laugh at the sight of Clint  _pouting,_ Peter and Natasha make their way over to the table. His mouth waters as he looks at the various breakfast foods. Someone went all out and that someone is most definitely named Tony Stark.

“And Peter's already waiting,” Tony calls back as he enters the room. “You're getting slow, hun.” Steve enters next, rolling his eyes fondly at his husband's antics. He's carrying a jar of juice in each hand. Apple in one and cranberry in the other. Tony has a pot of coffee in one hand and OJ in the other. 'Compromise in practice,' Peter smiles to himself a little.

Steve sets the juices on the table and walks over to Peter. He stops, looking slightly unsure. Peter doesn't like that one bit, so he lets Natasha's hand go and wraps his arms around him, hugging him tightly. “Love you, Pops,” he murmurs.

Smiling, Steve hugs him back tightly, kissing his hair. “I love you too, Peter.” Steve allows himself to hug Peter for a moment longer before he steps back and Tony takes over. “Love you, kid,” Tony tells him. Peter hugs him and replies, “Love you too, Dad.”

“We love you, webhead!” Clint calls over Tony. Peter laughs and pulls away, looking at Clint, who's blatantly ignoring the egg on his chin. Wrinkling his nose and trying to look disgusted with Clint, Peter quips, “You're messy, but I might love you too.”

Clint sticks his tongue out at Peter for that, but he doesn't mind. Peter takes turns hugging them, telling him he loves them, and them telling him that they love him.

“Let's eat. I can hear your stomach growling from here,” Bucky demands. Steve rolls his eyes at Bucky. “That's because you have freaky, superhuman enhanced hearing, Robot Arm,” Tony jokes. Steve gasps when Bucky gives Tony the finger. Peter can't help but burst out laughing.

It startles them slightly, but they smile at each other. He looks happy. It's their favorite look on him, one they don't want him to lose.

“C'mere, kid. Stark ordered some of the best donuts for this feast,” Clint beckons and proceeds to show Peter all of the food. There's so much food. Bacon, sausage, hash browns, biscuits & gravy, jams, jellies, bear claws, and so much more.

“Wow,” Peter breathes out.

Steve smiles, “Help yourself.” He hands Peter a plate and helps him fill it to the brim with Peter's favorites.

Helping themselves, the Avengers settle around Peter, occasionally with Natasha stealing some of Clint's bacon. It's nice. Comfortable.  _Safe._

“Whenever you're ready, Peter.” Peter looks up from his plate at Bruce. “We're here for you,” the scientist tells him as the other Avengers send him loving smiles.

Peter smiles back, heart feeling significantly lighter. He still feels a bit of the stain that Skip had caused years ago, but for the first time ever, he thinks that maybe, just maybe, he's going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay, because he has them. His family is there with him and they love him, no matter what.

“Thank you,” he whispers as Natasha kisses his cheek lightly.

Natasha catches his eyes. “Anytime, Peter. Anytime.”

So he's not ready to talk just yet, to explain what happened with Skip, to fill in the missing details on record, but they're not about to force it out of him. They aren't ignoring the subject, though. They are simply letting Peter decide when he wants to talk about it. Not now and not tomorrow, but Peter feels that someday soon, he'll be ready. And when he's ready, he knows they'll be there for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this made up for the tears in the last chapter. Wanted lots of fluff and family feels.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Tumblr: tabihe

**Author's Note:**

> I can't tell you I didn't cry while I was writing this. I did.
> 
> It was a random idea and then I couldn't stop writing it once I started and.. well. This work happened. I'm going to get myself a nice cup of tea and some cookies to recover from this one.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it (and if you need cookies or something happy, don't keep yourself from it).
> 
> Thanks for reading.
> 
> Tumblr: tabihe


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